


Stay With Me Awhile

by Magnuslove



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Attraction, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25677271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnuslove/pseuds/Magnuslove
Summary: This wasn’t the woman that he had left behind.
Relationships: Cara Dune/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Comments: 64
Kudos: 67





	1. Choices

The bounty hunter strode into the cantina and straight to Greef, who was seated in his usual booth. The man gestured to the empty seat across from him. Mando unstrapped the lance from his back and slid into the space.

”Mando, nice to have you back. Another successful hunt!”   
  


Mando didn’t return Greef’s effusive greeting. He was tired, and always leery about returning to Nevarro and the place where he had almost died. He didn’t understand why it didn’t seem to bother Greef, but he didn’t care enough to find out. He simply wanted his next puck so that he could be on his way.

”Cargo’s unloaded”, was his reply. “What else do you have?”

”Patience, my friend, patience. There is time. Where is the little one?”

”I left him on board the Crest with the IG. Look, Greef, I’m ready to go so-“

”Mando, I need to talk to you about Cara.”

The Mandalorian stiffened and looked around the cantina, realizing for the first time that she wasn’t there. Usually she was sitting alone at the bar anytime he came in, but would quickly make her way over for a quick hug and conversation. Her absence now was surprising.   
A small sense of dread crept into his mind.

”Where is she?”

”I don’t know.”

”What do you mean you don’t know? Doesn’t she work for you?”

“She quit. She started drink pretty heavily after you left. Held it together enough to do her job, but then got worse and worse. She’d sit here and drink all night, and then stumble home. I used to have one of men follow her to make sure she arrived safely. She found out and stopped coming to the cantina.”

”Where does she drink now?”

”Various places around town. I can’t keep track of her.”

”So what am I supposed to do about it, Greef? She’s a grown woman.”

”She respects you, Mando. She just might listen.”

”Shit.” was Mando’s only response. He didn’t need this. Not now. Not ever, really. His hands were full with the kid, and last thing he needed to worry about was another helpless person relying on him. Especially a strong, belligerent alcoholic. Yet...she had helped him save the kid, and himself. He knew he didn’t have a choice. He sighed, stood and placed his lance back in its place.

”Where does she live?”

Greef told him the address as he stood and and headed for the door. 

“We’ll take my cruiser.”

* * *

Cara stumbled out of the bar to begin her nightly unsteady trek home. The darkness didn’t bother her. Actually she preferred it. Most people walking the streets at this time were in a similar condition and paid no attention to her. The bar was pretty much her regular hangout now, a path so familiar that she could probably walk it blindfolded. She’d woken up many mornings and wondered how she had gotten undressed and into bed before dismissing the question and working on her hungover before the next evening’s debacle. 

Cara didn’t believe in doing things halfway. It was all or nothing with the woman, and drinking was no exception. She drank hard, she trained hard, she fought hard, and she lost hard. The first three kept everyone at a comfortable distance in order for her to avoid the last thing. And it usually worked. But right now, she was having an incredibly difficult time. It wasn’t that she _had_ lost. No, it was more like she _felt_ lost. But why? Nothing had changed in her life. Except the Mandalorian. He had come into her life. His mission had given her a purpose. And now he was gone.  
  


Cara decided that she wasn’t willing to explore it. She missed him and the kid. But so what? He left and that was that.

”Its just the booze talking,” she mumbled to herself. “I’m drunker than usual, that’s all. ” But she knew that wasn’t true, slowly coming to a stark realization. This was something more than alcohol. She was stumbling and slurring her words more than usual. Cara tried to clear her mind and remember the evening, thinking back to who was in the bar. It had been regulars for the most part. A few sketchy characters, but nobody had really stood out to her as a potential problem. But she couldn’t deny the one fact that was glaringly obvious now. Someone had spiked her drink. But how? She hadn’t let it out of her sight, or had she? Despite Cara’s best efforts, she couldn’t cut through the fog that was clogging her mind.   
  


She was afraid now. She was losing focus more and more every second. Every step was a stumble as she grabbed onto surface that she could hold her. Suddenly nothing looked familiar to and she glanced around wildly for someone to cry out to for assistance. But the darkness that she normally enjoyed was now her enemy. No one saw her as she slumped down the wall, arms reaching out wildly for something to pull herself back up.

”You having a problem, Miss?” a gruff voice spoke out from the dark beside her. “Here, let me help you.” She felt rough hands under her arms, lifting her and pushing her back against the wall. The man was tall enough for a streetlight to wash over him, and Cara attempted to focus her eyes on his face. He was unfamiliar to her. Tall and muscular, with a scar that ran the length of his face, forehead to mouth. He was standing very close to her, close enough for Cara to smell the liquor on his warm breath. The man stood over her, saying nothing, and Cara felt a growing discomfort.

”Thank you for your help,” she slurred. “I think I had a little too much, but I’m ok now.” She attempted to sound more in control than she was, but the man only laughed.  
  


“I’d say you’ve had too much, and you’re certainly not ok. Tell me where you live and I’ll make sure you get home.”

Cara was scared. She needed to get away from this man, and fast. Sober, she could definitely fight him off. But in her condition she knew she didn’t have a chance in hell.

“Look, buddy,” she replied, voice quavering. “I appreciate the hand, but I said I’m all right. You can let go of me.”

The man only pulled himself closer to her, his voice menacing low. ”You know, I was watching you at the bar earlier, and I’ll admit, I had other, not so pleasant thoughts. But then I saw that bar code on your arm. You were a shock trooper, and I know some people who might be interested in you. So we can do this two ways: I can take you in now, or I can do what I want and then take you in. What’s it gonna be?”

He was the man who had drugged her. It was now or never. Cara gathered every ounce of strength she had for one blow to the man’s face. It caught him off guard and he let go of her arms. The woman quickly turned to run, but the effect of the drug was still too strong and she stumbled and almost fell, but not before the man grabbed her by the back of her armor and slammed her into the wall.  
  


“The second way then.” he smirked.   
  


* * *

Greef slowly piloted the cruiser down the dark quiet streets while Mando kept his eye out for any trace of Cara. Both hoped that their friend was already home and sleeping, but since she was known to close a bar, didn’t want to not keep a watch out for her.   
  


“She lives around the corner,” Greef said as he headed to Cara’s place. “I can see it, and it looks like the lights are off, so-“

”Stop!” Mango shouted. Greef watched as the Mandalorian bounded from the craft, gun drawn, racing down a side street. Greef had no idea what the bounty hunter was running after, but he unholstered his weapon and followed, trying to keep sight of Mando in the darkness. He turned the corner where the bounty hunter had run in time to see a bright flash of light and then darkness again. A body was lying off to the side and Mando kneeling in front of someone slumped on the ground. The someone, he saw, was Cara Dune.

Cara was mumbling incoherently to herself. Mando gripped her shoulders to keep her steady while he tried to look into her half-shuttered eyes.

Greef ran to kneel beside him, dismayed to see the woman in such a condition.

”Is she ok?” he asked Mando urgently. The sight of Cara slouched over and completely debilitated made him sick to his stomach. “I’ve never seen her this drunk before.”

Mando forced Cara’s eyes open and shined his light into them.

“Cara! Cara!” Nothing.

”This isn’t just alcohol. She’s been drugged. Help me get her to the cruiser.” The two lifted Cara and placed inside and sped to her home. She was still mumbling and was seemingly unaware of the two men who were trying to help her. Once inside, they laid her limp body across cushions that she had placed in the common area. Greef grabbed a cloth and warmed it before placing it on her cool skin. Mango brushed her black hair away before checking her eyes again.

”What do you think he gave her? Will she be ok?” Greef asked as he hovered over the two.

”I’m not a doctor, but I think she’ll be ok. He obviously wasn’t trying to kill her with it. Just incapacitate. He was probably a bounty hunter.”

”So what now? If he was a bounty hunter than that means she’s been made. More will come looking for her.”

Mando sat staring at the now unconscious woman laying at his side. Greef was right. Others would come. And Cara was in no condition to defend herself. This was a complete mess. The Mandalorian stood suddenly and strode towards what he assumed was Cara’s bedroom.   
  


“I’m taking her with me.”

Greef wasn’t sure he had heard correctly.

”Taking her with you? Are you sure that’s a good idea, Mando?”

”What choice do I have? Look, Greef, she’s going to get herself killed here. I don’t want that on my conscience. Do you?” Greef looked down at Cara and shook his head.   
  


”No.”

”Ok, then. Help me get her things together.” The two packed what little clothing that Cara had, along with anything else that seemed important. They carried her back to the cruiser before heading out into the night air again to the Razor Crest. Mando carried her below deck and laid her in his bunk. She was completely limp in his arms, head lolled against his chest. He pulled the covers over her body before pushing her hair from her face. Bringing her with them was the right thing to do. He was sure of it. He would have the IG clean out the storage room and prepare that for Cara, but for right now the woman was safe. Greef waited for him in the cockpit with Cara’s things and once Mando re-emerged, they walked back down the ramp to the awaiting cruiser.   
  


“I’ll know you’ll take good care of her, Mando,” Greef said sadly as he shook the bounty hunter’s hand. “I’ve given you extra credits for the last bounty. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

”I will.” Greef nodded and headed back to his cruiser. As he climbed in, Mando called out to him.

”Greef, thank you for letting me know.”

The man nodded before smiling and driving off onto the night.


	2. Consequences

This wasn’t the first time that Cara had sworn off drinking. On many occasion, she would wake up sprawled across her bed, with no recollection of the previous nights antics, her mind turned to fuzzy mush by the constant dull throbbing that hammered her skull. She would slam her eyes shut against the intruding daylight, fumbling for the switch that would shut out the brightness of the new day, before curling herself into a ball under the covers and praying to any deity imaginable to stop the pain. She would swear that it had happened for the last time. But there was never a last time. Her life became a never ending cycle of drunken blindness and sobering reality. Wash, rinse, repeat. Cara convinced herself that it was a necessary evil that she wouldn’t need one day. One day.

Cara covered her eyes with her hand and opened them to half slits, waiting for the morning sun to poke its way through. It stayed dark. She slowly opened them all of the way but the light never came. _This is strange. How in the hell was I able to close the shutters last night? I’m never sober enough to do that.  
  
_

The woman reached her hand to the edge of the bed, trying to find the fob that controlled the lights in her room. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness, and the realization hit her as she looked around. She wasn’t in her room. _Ok, ok, think. My clothes are still on. I don’t seem to be hurt anywhere._ She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Sharp pains wracked her brain, but she forced her way through them and stood up, holding on to the wall for support. Cara forced herself to focus on her surroundings and they looked familiar, but in her current haze she couldn’t be sure. She made her way to the toward and braced as it opened, preparing herself for whoever or whatever ever was on the other side of it. But the doorway and the corridor that it led out to were both empty. Wherever she was, she didn’t appear to be a prisoner.   
  


Cara slowly stepped into the corridor and realized that she was aboard a ship. The Razor Crest. But how? She reached the end of the corridor and was heading up to the cockpit when a familiar sound spoke out of the darkness behind her.

”Are you sufficiently recovered?”

Cara spun around and was face to face with the IG-11 that had come to be the child’s protector. “I’m...I’m fine. How did I get here?”

”The Mandalorian brought you aboard before we departed Nevarro. He found you drugged and unconscious.”

Ugh. That explained some things. “Is Mando topside?”

”Yes. Do you require anything?”

”I’m fine, thanks,” she answered. The IG turned and continued down the corridor as Cara headed for the cockpit.   
  


* * *

Din was finishing up a holocall as Cara stepped into the cockpit. He didn’t turn to acknowledge her, as he was entering coordinates into the Crest controls.   
  


“How are you feeling?” he asked as she eased her way into the seat beside him.

”Like I took a blaster shot to the head.” Cara was glad that the Mandalorian wasn’t looking at her as they spoke. She hated that he, of all people, had come to her rescue. It made her feel weak, and Cara hated nothing more than feeling weak. She had fallen further than she ever thought possible, and here, one of the few people that she respected in the galaxy, was being tasked with pulling her up.   
  


They sat in silence for a moment, Mando looking over his maps while Cara looked down at the floor. It made her uncomfortable. ‘ _Let’s get this over with,’_ she thought. The bounty hunter was letting her lead the conversation. This was the “even more silent than usual” Mando. She hated that Mando.

”So who drugged me and why?”

”I assume the bounty hunter that I killed. As far as why, a couple of reasons come to mind: he could’ve been looking for a bounty...or he may have seen a woman who was drunk-“

”So why did you come looking for me?” Cara snapped, cutting off his next words. “Needed help with something I take it.”

”Actually I had planned on dropping off my bounty and leaving. Greef told me you getting yourself into some trouble and wanted me to talk to you.”

”Oh, so _Greef_ was worried. Were you worried, Mando?”

“I came looking for you, didn’t I? I found you and saved your life.”

“Ah, yes, the knight in shining Beskar armor flying in to rescue me,” Cara chuckled. “Well I’m sorry to tell you, but the only one that needs you to save him is the kid. I don’t need a hero.”

Mando hands abruptly stopping running over the instrument panel as he turned to face Cara. He was trying to choose his words carefully. The man was furious at the woman for being so undisciplined and irresponsible, but he knew that a lecture would only make her shut down. No, he had to be careful.  
  


“You were a damn mess last night, drunk and drugged off your ass. You could’ve been killed, Cara. Greef said that’s all you’ve been doing is drinking, and that you quit working for him. What happened to you?”

”Now you care? Look, you got what you needed from me. I helped you save the kid and made sure that you didn’t die in the process. You can stop acting like you give a shit now. You left me on Nevarro, so just take me back.“

”You wanted to stay on Nevarro. You could have come with me.”

”You should have asked!” Cara yelled. “You asked me to come with you on Sorgan! You asked me to come back to Nevarro! So why didn’t you ask me the last time, Mando?” Cara felt like her skull was going to split apart. The pain actually formed itself into a pattern of colors behind her eyes and she felt lightheaded. She lowered her voice and dropped her head into her hands.

”We almost died. And then you just take off when it’s over, like it meant nothing to you. I thought we were friends, Mando, but I guess I was wrong,” she said bitterly. “Just take me back to Nevarro. I don’t need a babysitter.“

”Maybe you want to rethink that, Cara,” Mando answered heatedly. You’re doing a piss poor job of it yourself.“ Mando turned himself back towards the instrument panel, apparently finished with their conversation. An infuriated Cara was out of her seat, balled fist squarely aimed at the Mandalorian’s chest. But the blow never landed. Instead, the bounty hunter captured it in his own hand, and before Cara realized what was happening, her arm was twisted behind her back and she was unceremoniously shoved against the cockpit wall. Mando was behind her, the cool metal of his helmet brushing her flushed cheek. 

“You got the drop on me and I was still able to deflect your attack. You’ve lost Your touch, Cara,” he hissed. “Is this how you want it to be?” He held her against the wall for several seconds, waiting for her answer. Getting nothing, he released her arm and sat back in the pilot’s seat, his attention back on the instrument panel.   
  


“Just get me back to Nevarro, asshole.”

“I have a lead to follow up on first. Nevarro can wait. IG set up the stock room so you have somewhere to sleep. I suggest you get some more rest. You still seem a little shaky.”  
  


“Fuck you, Din. Just get me back to Nevarro,” Cara answered as she made her escape from the cockpit.

* * *

Din sank back into seat and let his shoulders drop. Stars, this was a mess. She was blaming him for her problem, and part of him knew she wasn’t wrong. _But I didn’t use_ _her_. She had been paid for her help every time. It wasn’t like she made any huge sacrifices. _I almost got her killed._ He hadn’t asked her to do anything that made her uncomfortable. _I asked her to come to Nevarro even though I knew spies from the Empire could be there and would love to capture an ex-shock trooper. ._ I didn’t ask her to do anything that she wasn’t paid for. _I asked her to take care_ _of the kid in case I didn’t make it and she agreed. Before she told me that they weren’t leaving without me and that she wasn’t going to let me die there.  
  
_

And if she had asked to come with him, would he have said yes? In his heart he knew the answer. He mind had been solely focused on the child and returning him to his people. Cara should have understood that. Even if she fought side by side with him, to the point where he trusted like he trusted his Guild, she should understand. He didn’t need any distractions. It had to it be this way.  
  


She had been his best friend. He had never fought so hard with someone outside of the Guild. To find a connection with someone else that way was a rarity. Maybe that scared him just a little.

”Fuck,” he muttered to himself. Din locked the ship down, set the perimeter alarms, and headed to his quarters for some much-needed sleep.


	3. Control

_Cara was on the last transport fleeing from the incoming Imperial fleet. The base had stayed hidden longer than the others, but it’s discovery by the Empire was inevitable. Cara was always on the last ship. She felt that was her responsibility to make sure everyone else made it out safely. She didn’t know why she felt the need to protect everyone else. Maybe it was just her nature, or maybe it was because of what happened to Alderaan. Her friends, her family, all gone. And she wasn’t able to stop it._

_Cara raced up the ramp, yelling as5 it closed behind her. “That’s everybody! Get us out of here!” The transport rose and a Cara barely had time to strap herself in before it shot off into the outer atmosphere and then the darkness of space. She sat tensed, hands balled into fists. This was always the most dangerous part. The destroyer were out there, waiting to blow their ships into a million pieces. If that made it past their perimeter, it was pretty smooth sailing.  
  
_

_Seconds went by and nothing. Cara let out a sigh of relief and allowed her shoulders to relax. Too soon. She had barely heard the alarm blaring before she felt the impact. She was temporarily knocked unconscious by the blast, her limp body being tossed about the damaged ship. They hadn’t taken a direct hit. The cruiser had been too eager in firing, but were turning towards them again, determined to finish the job. Cara came to and quickly attempted to anchor herself to something when the second hit came. The blast ripped her out of the ship and into space. She thrashed about, desperately looking for something to grab onto, but the ship, and her shipmates were gone, vaporized. She flailed, screaming, reaching out to anyone or anything, but there was nothing by dark space and death._

Cara awoke suddenly and sat up in her bunk, sweat glistening on her clammy skin. She was alive. It was the dream, the same dream over and over again. She didn’t know exactly what it meant, but she knew that it made her feel alone. She missed her friends and family that had been ripped away from her on Alderaan. She missed the camaraderie of the shock troopers. But everyone had scattered after the war was over, back to their families. She had none. So Cara became a wanderer, hopping from planet to planet, never settling, never getting close. She stayed long enough to do work for drinking money, and when that dried up she moved on. Din and the child had been her first relationships in a long time. She felt a sort of kinship with the bounty hunter and in turn had developed a fierce sense of protection for the child as well. When they had fought and almost died together on Nevarro, when he had entrusted the child to her, it changed her. She learned to appreciate friendship and life a little bit more. But then it ended and Mando went away. It apparently didn’t mean the same thing to him.

Cara shook her head as if to rid it of her thoughts.

“Maybe and a shower and food will help.” She chosen to remain in her quarters away from everyone, especially Din, and while she had gotten some sleep, it wasn’t helping her mood. She turned on the lights and looked around the room. It was small with only a bed and table. She recognized a bag in the corner as one of her own. So Din had thought enough to bring some clothes. She grabbed up something to throw on and headed down to the corridor, where she again ran into the IG unit, who apparently the same idea, but for the child that he carried in his arms. As soon as the baby saw Cara he squealed and reached for her, almost falling from he IG’s arms. She scooped him up and the baby wrapped his tiny arms around her neck in an embrace. _Stars, I missed this!_

_”_ You actually remember me, little guy?” she laughed, pulling him back to look at him. “You’re getting so big!” The baby smiled and stroked her cheek with his hand before snuggling into her neck again. She sank into his hug.He was so sweet, so innocent, and his love was unconditional. Cara wanted to stand like this, in his embrace forever, but the IG had other plans. 

“He made quite a mess of himself at mealtime. I was going to clean him up.”

”I was about to do the same thing. I tell you what, how about we make a deal: I‘ll take the kid in with me if you find me something to eat. I’m starving.”

”Are you certain that you are well enough to care for him?”

”Positive. He’ll be fine. Right, kid? I’ll bring him up when we’re finished.”

”Very well. I will let the Mandalorian know.”

“You do that. Come buddy, let’s go get cleaned up.”  
  


* * *

The IG unit entered to the cockpit where Mando was at the controls once again.

“We’re taking off. Where’s the kid?”

”He is bathing with Cara Dune.”

“She’s finally decided to come out. About time.”

”Yes. I agreed to feed her in exchange for her bathing the child.” Mando couldn’t help but smile. Maybe she was still in there.

”Look, IG, we’ll be arriving in Abafar later. You stay here with the kid while I go into town. And remember, if I don’t come back, leave. You job is to protect him, no matter what.”   
  


“ I am aware, Mandalorian, and I will.” The IG left the cockpit and headed for the galley to prepares Cara’s meal as the woman and the child made their way into the cockpit and the co-pilot’s chair. Cara sat and pulled the child into her lap, where he immediately went for the silver control knob.   
  


“Still your favorite toy, I see.” She didn’t acknowledge the bounty hunter at first, instead busying herself with the child. Mando, for his part, seemed to pay no attention to them, instead focusing on the instrument panel in front of him. Playtime didn’t last flor long, as the child snuggled himself into Cara‘s chest with a contented yawn. Within minutes he was asleep, and Cara took him down to his carrier in Mando’s quarters before returning to the cockpit.   
  


“Where are we going?” 

”Abafar. I found somebody who says he has information about the kid’s people.”  
  


“On Abafar? I doubt it. Nothing but scum there as far back as I can remember.”

”Well it’s the only lead I’ve gotten. I can’t exactly pick and choose where I get my information. I have to follow every chance.”  
  


“Suit yourself. You should take somebody with you at least.”

”You’re not up to it.”

”I wasn’t talking about me,” she spat. “I was talking about the IG-11. You don’t wanna go there by yourself.”

”He’s here for the kid, not me.”

“I’ll keep the kid. I’m gonna do something to earn my keep around here until you get me back to Nevarro. I don’t want to owe you anything.”

”That’s not necessary. Besides, I know that the IG will keep him safe if something happens to me.”

”And I won’t?”

”At one time, yes. You would have died for him. I don’t know, maybe you still would. But I can’t trust that now.” Cara finally looked at the Mandalorian. Her voice was calm but her eyes blazed with hurt and anger.

”Please, Din, tell me how you’ve managed to become so perfect. How have you gone all of these years with never making a mistake. Never fucking up. Oh, wait, you haven’t. You got half of your Guild killed. Let’s see, oh yeah, Kuiil died trying to help you. Greef and I almost died. Oh, yeah, the Armorer is probably dead too. All while trying to help your little mission. But you’re better than me because you didn’t turn to booze. You know what you do? You hide behind that helmet. Nobody gets to see the pain on your face from all of your mistakes, so you can pretend they never happened. Maybe I need to get myself a tin hat. Then I can hide too.”  
  


Din was frozen in his seat, but Cara could tell by his stillness that she had gotten to him.

”Doesn’t feel good, does it? Somebody knowing your secrets?”   
  
In one swift move, Mando was out of his seat and had Cara’s back pinned to the panel, one gloved hand around her throat.  
  


“Shut you mouth, Cara,” he growled. “I’m done listening to you.”

”What are you gonna do?” Cara whispered. “Beat up a drunk?”

”I’m very tempted.”

”Go ahead. You said I couldn’t defend myself anymore. Try it.”

Cara wasn’t sure if Mando was gonna take her up on her offer, but steeled herself just in case. He had the advantage, but that could easily be remedied. And if she got the chance, she was going to try her best to beat the hell out of him first.

”Your meal is ready.” The IG had re-entered the cockpit with a tray of food for Cara. He stood with an uninterested gaze, waiting for the two to disengage. Mando stood over the woman, looking at her for several seconds before releasing his grip on her throat and returning to his seat. Cara slowly righted herself. She leaned over towards Mando before taking the tray from IG and heading to her quarters.   
  


“Maybe next time.”


	4. Caring

Mando set down in the snow-covered mountains of Abafar. It was an ice planet: cold, unyielding, inhospitable, and it was the last place that the bounty hunter wanted to be. He had a heavy knot in his stomach from his encounter with Cara Dune. He’d put his hands around her neck, and it had taken everything in his power to not squeeze. It made no sense, how the woman had fallen into her current state so quickly. Her anger towards him was palpable, and it cut him to the bone. She was angry that the Mandalorian had left her behind on Nevarro. Somehow she decided that Mando should have known that she had wanted to go with him. But he wasn’t a damn mind reader, and how could someone as outspoken as Cara suddenly feel like she couldn’t say what she wanted? _But if she had asked, I would have said no. And we would be in this same situation. How much do I owe her for helping me? She was paid handsomely for fighting beside me and risking her life in the process. But she did more than that. She had sworn to get the child to his people on Nevarro, when I thought I was going to die. I wouldn’t have asked that of anyone else.  
  
_

Mando shook his head to clear it of his thoughts. He had to focus on the task at hand, namely meeting with his source and hopefully getting some answers about the kid, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted. He would focus on the Cara Dune situation once he was done here. Din called to the IG on the intercom, and the droid appeared instantly, the baby in hand.

“I’m going to Tukar. It’s right over that ridge,” he said, pointing north. “It’s a seedy place, and I’m not sure what I’m walking into. But if I’m not back by dusk, you take him and get out of here. Are we clear?”

”I would prefer to accompany you, Mandalorian. It would be safer with the two of us. Cara Dune can protect the child while we are away.”

”No. I can’t trust her with him right now.” _That’s a lie. She’d die before she let any harm come to him.  
  
_

_”_ I need you to stay here with the kid. I’ll be okay.”

_”_ Very well. He shall be safe.” Mando looked at the child in the IG’s arms as the little green hands reached out for him.

”I’ve gotta go, little man. But I’ll be back soon. Behave, ok?” The child cooed as if he understood the words the bounty hunter was saying, and Mando pushed the button to lower the ramp before standing up and heading towards his cruiser.  
  


“Remember, IG. Dusk.”

”Understood, Mandalorian.”

* * *

The cruiser quickly got Mando to Tukar, and for that, he was grateful. The cold was biting, and the Beskar armor did little to protect him from it. The town was dark, save for a few businesses, mainly bars. The glow from the buildings cast soft light on the icy deserted streets as he made his way down the main corridor towards the designated meeting place. The wind was biting, and he wrapped his cloak around his shoulders for protection from blasts of wintry air. His destination was the last bar on the left. Mando took a deep breath and pushed his way inside.   
  


The cantina, as he expected, was virtually empty. While it had an almost cozy feel to it, Mando decided that being out of the cold was what made it appear that way. The only lights were above the two windows and behind the bartender. Beyond that and it was difficult to make out faces. Two men sat at the bar, shoulders hunched over their drinks, oblivious to or uninterested in the newcomer. Three others sat at a corner table near one of the windows, arguing about something. Tulare was a mining town, and the men did indeed appear to be miners. They also showed no interest in the visitor. Mando squinted into the darkness, looking for anyone else who may be in the shadows. A man, sitting in the darkest corner of the bar, watched as the bounty hunter surveyed the room, before settling his gaze in his direction, and he beckoned Mando over with the wave of his hand. Mando quickly made his way to the man before removing his gun from his back and setting into the booth across from the man.

”You’re my contact?”

”I am, Mandalorian. You have my compensation?”

”Only if you have useful information. What can you tell me?”

”Patience, friend, patience. Have a drink. It’ll warm your bones.” The man gestured towards the bartender before turning his attention to Mando again. “Did you notice all of the bars on your way here? Do you know why there are so many?” Mando didn’t respond, but the man answered anyhow.   
  


“No women here. It’s cold, it’s dark, and it has no women. Can’t get them to stay. So the miners work and drink. That’s all they have.”

”Then why stay here? ” the bounty hunter asked. “Seems like a miserable life.”

”Well, most of us are running, mostly from the law. Nobody comes looking for you. Nobody cares. Notice how none of them batted an eye when you came in?”

”I noticed.”

”Cuz nobody cares,” the man chuckled. The bartender brought his drink and the man wasted no time in bringing the cup to his lips for a nice slug of alcohol. “Sure you don’t want anything, Mandalorian? It’s not bad stuff.”  
  


“Only my information.”

”You’re pretty well known, bounty hunter. Heard you fought your way through a bunch of Imperial troopers on Nevarro. That true?”   
  


Mando stiffened and wrapped his hand around the gun that was sitting in the booth beside him. “Just a misunderstanding,” he answered evenly. “ We worked it out.”

“Not how I heard it. I heard you got a real bad guy after you.”

”How did you hear that from so far away? It’s a big galaxy. I wouldn’t think a lot of information travels through Abafar.”

”Well, I’m not from Abafar. No. See, I travel a lot. All over the place. Keep my ears open, you know? Don’t like to miss out on big bounties. You know what I mean, Mandalorian?”

Mando rose from his seat, gun ready. “I’m leaving. If you value your life, you won’t make a move.”

”I’m not moving, Mandalorian,” the man answered calmly. His eyes flashed quickly towards Mando’s left, giving him little time to spin and shoot the man who was moving up behind him, phaser in hand. The man dropped, but it served as a distraction from the man at the booth, who quickly stunned the Mandalorian with his own phaser. Mando fell to the floor, alert but unable to move. The bounty hunter stood and walked over to stand above the Mandalorian.   
  


“Wanna tell me where the package is?” He asked. “No? That’s ok. You’ll be plenty to turn over. I’m not a greedy man. And I don’t push my luck.” He smiled and sat back at his table, waiting for the message that sent on his comm to be answered.   
  


* * *

Cara took a few bites of food before pushing the dish aside. Her heart was still racing from her fight with Mando, and her stomach felt queasy. She knew how to use words to cut a man deep, but even she didn’t expect Din’s response. She hadn’t been able to see his face, but Cara knew that the Mandalorian had been ready to kill her. She knew the man rather well and had seen him angry before, many times at her. But that Mando, he was new to her, and for a split second she had actually been afraid of him. But the fear was swiftly replaced with her own anger and she pushed back. He had no right to be pissed at her for speaking the truth. The fact that he didn’t want to hear it wasn’t her problem. She didn’t ask to be here.   
  


Deciding that she needed a distraction, Cara went looking for the child. He was sweet and innocent, and always proved to be a welcome distraction from reality, something she missed when she was on a Nevarro. Life’s abusive hand smacked her in the face every day. It was her biggest reason for drinking. But the child made her forget about all of that. He made her happy and hopeful. And unlike the mornings when she woke in her bed after another night of blackout drinking, she remembered every encounter with the little guy who had stolen her heart. She missed him and needed to be around him.  
  


Cara made her way to the cockpit to find the IG sitting in Mando’s chair and the child in his carrier. The little one cooed with excitement as he spotted Cara Dune, dropping his toy to reach for her with open arms. She happily lifted the child and pulled him into her lap and she sat in the co-pilot seat.   
  


“Hey, little guy,” she smiled. Did you miss me?” He responded by twisting his tiny fingers into her considerably longer hair. He was fascinated by the dark locs that framed the pretty woman’s face, and within seconds was pulling pieces of it into his mouth.   
  


“Cut it out, kid! You shouldn’t eat hair.” She reached into the carrier to get the toy that he had been playing with, and the baby happily settled into her lap, toy in mouth. Cara looked up at the IG, who was intensely staring out into the darkening abyss.   
  


“Where is the Mandolorian?” She asked.

”He went to meet someone. He is supposed to be back by dusk.”

”It’s dusk now,” Cara answered. “Are you going to look for him?”

”No. He left very specific orders for me. If he hasn’t returned by dusk, I am to take the child and leave.”

”Well, you’re not going to do that. We have to go find him. He’s in trouble.”

“My duty is to protect the child. He left very speci-“

”Then _I’m_ going to find him.”

”He told me to leave.”

”And I’m telling you we’re not leaving. We did he go?”

”Tukar. It is over the ridge. But I was ordered-“

Cara stood and placed the child in the IG’s lap. “Listen to me. You are going to stay here and watch the kid. I’m going to find Mando. Don’t you dare think about moving the ship until we come back. Do you understand me?”

Cara raced to her quarters to rifle through her clothing. She didn’t have anything heavy to protect her against the frigid cold, but thankfully Mando had grabbed all of her clothing on Nevarro. She grabbed several items to created layers, finishing with a cloak the Greef had given her. it wasn’t much, but it would have to do.   
  


“I told that kriffing idiot that this was a bad idea,” Cara muttered to herself as she ran back to the cockpit.   
  


“Keep an eye out for us,” she ordered. “We may be coming in hot. And be ready to blast off.”

”Understood, Cara Dune. The Mandalorian is going to be angry.”

”I don’t give a shit,” Cara answered. “Lower the ramp.” She raced out and hopped on the second scooter before speeding towards town and the Mandalorian. 

”


	5. Concern

Cara reached the outskirts of town before powering down. She wasn’t sure what had happened to the Mandalorian, but knew that he wasn’t easily taken. She had to be careful. The IG didn’t know where Mando was supposed to meet his source but Cara figured it to be a cantina. It also was. _The guy won’t even drink in front of anyone but he’s always meeting people in bars._ Cara stealthily made her way down what appeared to me the main street of town. It was dark and the wind had picked up to ferocious levels, a fortunate thing for Cara, as no one was on the streets for her to draw attention. The woman crept along the storefronts, peering into frosted windows for any sign of the bounty hunter and finding none. She was almost to the end of the street when she spotted something in an alley beside the last bar. Mando’s speeder. Cara rounded the corner to take a peek inside the corner window and was greeted by the sight of four stormtroopers. They were speaking to a man and all of the them were looking at the floor. She could imagine what they found so interesting.   
  


“Shit,” Cara muttered. “Imps. This is bad.” All she had was a phaser, blade, and fighting skills, none of which had gotten any use lately. She scooted her way back into the darkness of the alley to work out a plan. It would definitely have to be a surprise attack. Imps weren’t exactly that upper echelon of soldiers, and she had taken on more than one plenty of times. It was just a matter of hitting them fast and hard. She’d go in firing, hopefully doing the damage needed to grab Mando and get out.  
  


Cara unholstered her phaser and scooted towards the entrance of the bar, hand reaching up for the door that was suddenly swung open. The four troopers made there way out and came face to face with the woman. Two of them were dragging the unconscious Mando, one more in front and the other pulling up the rear. The front trooper was carrying Mando’s pulse rifle. The element of surprise gone, Cara resorted to Plan B.   
  


“Hey, fellas. Looks like your friend there can’t hold his liquor,” she shouted. “You just helped a girl find out where the party is.” 

”There’s no party here,” answered the first trooper. “You need to move along.”

Cara peered past the stormtrooper who was doing the talking. “Is that a Mandalorian? I’ve never met one. Is it true that they don’t take off their helmets ever?”

”This one’s will be coming off soon enough, probably with his head still-“  
  


Cara put a hole in his chest, followed shortly by the trooper in the rear. The two holding Mando dropped him and reached for their holsters. She grabbed the pulse rifle and made quick work of the them, their bodies falling to the icy street beside their comrades. _I still have it after all._ The woman dragged the bounty hunter back into the alley and draped his limp body across the seat of the cruiser. She strapped the rifle across her back and jumped on, wrapping her arms around the bounty hunter to hold him steady.

“We gotta go, Din! Hang on!” she shouted as she throttled the cruiser and sped back towards the Razor Crest. “IG, we’re on the way. Be ready to take off!

”Understood, Cara Dune.”

* * *

The RazorCrest lifted off as soon as Cara and Mando were aboard. The woman dragged Din to his quarters and laid him across his bunk. It was when she pulled her hand away from the bounty hunter’s head that she saw the blood. Ice gripped Cara's heart as she raced back to the cockpit.  
  


“IG, I need you below deck with Mando! I’ll take the helm!”

”My instructions were-“

”Now! He’s bleeding under that helmet and you need to get it off of him!”

”But the child-“

”I have the kid, dammit! Move!”

The droid rose and exited the cockpit. Cara quickly took his seat and blasted the Crest out of Abafar’s atmosphere and into dark space. She had to find somewhere out of the way to set down. The child, meanwhile, was crying in his carrier, upset with the commotion that was going on around him. Cara pulled him into her lap as she went through the star maps. She found a planet that appeared pretty much uninhabited and set in a course before turning her attention to the child.

”Shhh, it’s ok, kiddo,” she reassured the little one as she bounced him in her lap. “We’re ok, everything is ok. We’re safe now. Calm down.” She smiled at him and that coupled with her soothing words put the child at ease a little. But she felt that he could sense something was wrong.   
  


“How is he, IG?” she commed the droid.   
  


“Not well. He has a head injury and is unresponsive. I’m afraid there isn’t much that I can do.”

Cara went rigid in her seat. _This can’t be happening. Not to Din. Not by fucking Imps!_ She let out a soft whimper and the child reached up to touch her face. The kid! Of course!

”IG, turn off the lights in Mando’s quarters. We’re coming down!” Cara put the child on her hip and quickly made her way in the darkness to Mando’s quarters, reaching out to the IG who was patiently standing beside the bunk. She brushed past him and sat on the bunk beside Din’s unconscious body.

”Ok, little guy, he needs your help,” Cara whispered, voice breaking. “He’s gonna die and we can’t stop it. But you can. You did it before with Greef. We need you to do it again.”

She set the child on the bunk beside the bounty hunter, and he didn’t hesitate to reach for his guardian in the dark. He was confused at first, not understanding why the Mandalorian wasn’t responding to his touch. The little one could hear the fear in Cara’s voice, feel it in the shaking hand that pressed against his back. And then he knew. The man would die without his assistance. Eyes closed, the child gently pressed his hand to the side of Din’s face. Cara kept her head bowed behind the little one, ensuring that she wouldn’t see Mando’s face. Her hand was still on the child’s back, ready to catch him when he inevitably fell back.   
  


“IG, is it working? Can you detect anything?”

”Something is happening, Cara Dune. The Mandalorian seems to be responding. But the child is weakening. I cannot allow him to be harmed.”

“He’s not being harmed. I’ve seen him do it before. He’s saving Mando’s life.” She stroked the child’s back supportively as she whispered in his ear. 

”You’re doing good, little guy. Keep going. You’re almost there.”   
  


It was several more nerve wracking seconds before the child pulled his had away from Din and collapsed into Cara’s arms. She pulled him up before lifting herself from the bed and turning her back to the bounty hunter.

”Check on him,” she ordered the droid. “Is he ok?” The IG moved part the woman and exhausted child to stand beside the bunk.   
  


”His condition has improved. He will survive. Mandalorian, can you hear me?”

Mando responded with a groan and Cara’s shoulders sagged with relief. The child had fallen completely silent in her arms. Cara knew that he was exhausted. Crisis averted, she pulled the child to her shoulder and turned back to the IG.

”I need to let him rest. Can you take care of Mando while I put him down?”

”Of course.”

Cara made her way back to the cockpit and the child’s carrier. His eyes opened slightly as she laid him inside. She took his tiny hand into hers and brushed a kiss on his forehead. 

”You’re amazing, little guy. Get some sleep, and I’ll be right here when you wake up.” She held his hand until his grip slipped away and he curled into a comfortable slumber. It was only then did Cara allowed herself to sink into Mando’s chair and let the sobs overcome her. Her body heaved as the tears freely flowed down her cheeks. The woman hadn’t cried since the destruction of Alderaan, but now her all of the grief and emotions came pouring out, and for the first time in a long time she didn’t have booze to bottle them up.

She’d almost lost him, again. And her last words to him had been horrible and cutting. What if she hadn’t reached him in time? She had nearly destroyed her life trying to forget about him. About them. He’d come to help her and all she did was fight him. Cara doubted if the Mandalorian would ever forgive her, not that she deserved it. Well, she wouldn’t fight him anymore. If he returned her to Nevarro she would go willingly. She would wish him well, walk away, and never look back.

The IG unit made his way back to the cockpit to check on the child.

”The Mandalorian is resting comfortably. You may go see him if you wish.”

”Not right now,” Cara answered, suddenly afraid. “I’ll let him rest.”

”Very well. I will take the child.”

”IG, can I ask you a question?”

”Of course.”

”If you were Mando, would you forgive me?”

”Forgive you for what?”

”Going after him after he said not to.”

”You undoubtedly saved his life. I don’t understand why you seek forgiveness.”

”But what if our delay in taking off meant something happened to the kid?”

”The child was in my care. Nothing was going to happen to him.”

”I missed them. I missed this. I couldn’t let him die. All I think and talk about are him and the kid.”

”Is that what it means to miss someone?”

”Yeah, pretty much.”

”Then I can say unequivocally Cara Dune, that he missed you as well.”


	6. Conditions

_Mando_ _returned from retrieving a bounty to find Cara Dune dead at the bottom of the ramp of the Razorcrest, shot through the chest, phaser on the ground beside her. She had obviously been caught off guard and hadn’t been able to comm him about the attack before being struck down. Bounty instantly forgotten, Mando ran to the woman, dropping in his knees beside her. She was gone, and an anguished cry ripped from his throat. He brushed her hair from her face and removing his helmet, rested his forehead against hers. His tears were flowing freely now and sobs wracked his frame as he attempted to wrap his head around what had happened to the woman who had become his best friend and co-guardian of the child that he had taken in. Cara had fought fiercely and been hit more than once. She looked so peaceful, asleep almost. The only thing that gave_ _it away was the hole in her armor, now cool to the touch. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to her. He was supposed to protect her as well as the child. He had failed, and Cara was dead._

_Laying her down gently in the grass, Din slowly rose and climbed the ramp. The man could barely make his feet move forward, knowing what awaited him aboard the ship. He made way into the dark lower deck of the Crest, feeling pieces of metal crunch beneath his feet in the corridor. IG-11. Din knelt beside the heavily damaged drone. He didn’t know how in the hell the unit was still functioning._

_”Where is the child?”_

_”In your quarters.” The synthesized voice sounded hollow, fading. “I...failed to protect him. I do not understand, Mandalorian. Why-“_

_“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he choked out his answer. “Was it Moff Gideon? This couldn’t have just been troopers.They couldn’t have taken out_ _Cara Dune that easily. Who attacked you?”_

_“Do you not remember, Mandalorian? Perhaps you were injured worse than we feared.”_

_”Remember what? I was out capturing a bounty.”_

_”You have not left the ship. You attacked me first. Then you killed the child. Cara Dune heard the altercation and tried to intervene. She was last. You killed her outside.”_

_”What the hell are you talking about?! I have a bounty outside! I...I came back to find Cara-“_

_”There is no bounty and you never left the ship.” The IG was quickly fading, power almost gone. “You killed them, Mandalorian. I do not...know why. My existence is at an end as well.” Then silence._   
  


_Mando knelt in the corridor, reeling from the devastating news. He couldn’t bring himself to enter his quarters. It couldn’t be true! He would never hurt them. The bounty hunter raced outside to find no evidence of a bounty. Just Cara, dead at the bottom of the ramp. The man collapsed to the ground, crying out for answers to everything that was happening. He couldn’t have done this! The IG swore that it was him, but why can’t he remember? Why would he kill them? Yet...he knew somehow that he had. Cara’s wound was from his pulse rifle. Dreading every step, Mando made his way back into the ship. Entering his dark quarters, the man stepped beside the child’s carrier. He was there, horribly mutilated, definitely dead. The lifeless stare broke him and he raced out of the room._   
  


_He had failed everyone, again. Killed the child that he had sworn to protect and bring back to his own kind. The woman who had taken on his mission as her own. IG-11. It had taken everything for him to trust the drone, to let him protect the child. And somehow and for some reason he had destroyed all off that. He had no honor. His Code meant nothing now. He had disgraced his Guild and everything that it stood for._

_The Mandolorian stumbled his way back outside where he removed his Beskar armor and carefully set on the ground beside him before putting Cara’s phaser to his chest and pulling the trigger. Mando fell silently into the grass beside the woman. It was the only way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, short and horrible.


	7. Fear

It came night after night and was always the same; he killed them all, and then himself. Each time he woke in a cold sweat and desperately reaching for the child’s carrier, relief washing over his body when he inevitably found the boy alive and unharmed. It became a habit for the bounty hunter to soundlessly make his way to the dark cockpit where the others would find him, slumped into his chair, taken by the sleep that eventually came for him.   
  


Mando sat staring out of the window in front of him. They were still on the planet where they had landed after his near death experience on Abafar. It was hot and swampy, not ideal but it suited their purpose; to hide and heal. He had been out for a while, and Cara Dune had made the decision to stay put. It made sense. They had no bounty and no other leads on the kid. The IG took care of the boy and Cara took care of everything else. Mando was a bystander to everything going on around him, barely able to take care of himself, let alone the RazorCrest and the charge. The man could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into a darkness that he couldn’t understand. If Cara Dune didn’t cook and make him eat he probably would have starved to death by now. _How the tables have turned,_ he thought bitterly. _I was supposed to be saving her but now I’m the damn mess.  
  
_

Mando made no move to acknowledge Cara as she made her way to the other chair and sank into it. She sat silently, the dim panel lights creating a warm glow on her skin as she too stared out into the darkness. Cara had heard Din pass her quarters again, the same thing almost every night. She didn’t know what was wrong with the Mandalorian, but she wasn’t afraid to admit that it scared her. The woman had an uncanny ability to read people, and felt that she had able to figure out the bounty hunter pretty well. This was different. He seemed dangerous to her now. Cold and indifferent. The way that he would look at them sometimes. Not his face. She obviously couldn’t see that. But she could tell from his silence, his body moments, that he was wrestling with something. Something bad. She didn’t press him to talk. He would when he was ready. She made sure that he washed and ate, but otherwise left him to his thoughts. But when she heard him leave his quarters she would sneak in softly to check on the child. Just in case.   
  


“I have a dream that I kill all of you.”

The sudden words startled Cara and she jumped a little. She looked over at the bounty hunter who was still staring outside at nothing.   
  


“So that’s what’s wrong,” she sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

”I’m telling you now. And that’s not all. I dream about torturing you...doing horrible things. I feel it...even when I’m awake. I look at you and the kid and I want to hurt you.”

”It started after the kid healed you, didn’t it? I knew something was wrong. You haven’t been yourself at all. You barely spend any time with him. You don’t talk to me at all.”

”Did you hear what I said, Cara?” he asked quietly, anger seeping into his voice. “I don’t trust myself. The things I think about you are dark and disgusting. The kid, I just kill. But you, I make suffer.”

The words and the way the man said them sent shivers down her spine. She had never been afraid of this man. But something else was at work here, and Cara wondered just how much control Din had anymore.   
  


“Maybe the kid can heal you again.”

”He can’t heal me. I’m not dying.”

”But you’re not well either, Din. It can’t hurt to try.”

”I already did, Cara. He couldn’t help me.“ 

Cara sat silently staring at her friend. His body language in the dark perfectly conveyed tenseness and exhaustion. The man was cracking and she was helpless to do anything to ease his pain. Her strength, her compassion and concern couldn’t do anything to fix this. It was apparently something inside of him that he alone had to heal. She was afraid for him.

Cara stood and went to kneel beside the Mandalorian. He didn’t move or acknowledge her gripping his bare hand with hers.

”Din, look. I trust you. You won’t hurt us. Whatever is going on, we’ll figure it out together. IG and I have everything handled. You have to heal your mind. I can get ahold of Greef. Maybe he can at least give us some direction. But right now you need some sleep. I’m gonna put the kid in my bunk with me. You won’t have to worry about him, ok?”

”I would feel better if you did.”

”Ok, Din. I’ll get him now. Get some sleep.” She gave him a slight smile and a firm squeeze on his shoulder before turning to leave the cockpit, only to have his grip her hand hard. He was still staring out the window, but his words were focused and clear.

”IG will protect the child. You must protect yourself from me.”

* * *

Cara felt that she hadn’t slept a wink, but the child cooing in his carrier signaled that it was time to wake up. He was pretty much on a regular sleeping and eating schedule at this point, and didn’t take too kindly to any disruptions. Cara slowly unwould herself from the bedding and swung her legs up to sit on the side of the bunk. The child, chittering excitingly, reached out, and Cara lifted him and sat him in the bunk.

”I gotta get dressed, guy,” she mumbled sleepily. “Then I’ll get you some food. And me some coffee. Stay right there,” she stated firmly before rising and pulling on the shorts that laid on her storage locker. Child planted on her hip, Cara made her way to the galley. The drone was already there, preparing the child’s food. Cara placed him into his seat as IG brought the dish over and fed the child while Cara made her much-needed coffee.

”Is Mando up yet?” she asked the drone. 

”The Mandalorian left early. He said that he was going to explore.”

”Hmmm. IG, have you noticed anything strange about Mando?”

”He does seem to be behaving rather strangely. I noticed it after he recovered from his incident. I find him asleep in the cockpit almost every morning.”

”He told me that he dreams about killing us. Pretty much every night.”

”That would explain his exhaustion and lack of interest. And it is most disturbing. It is my duty to protect the child.”

”What I don’t get is why? Could the kid have done something to his brain when he healed him?”

”I do not know, Cara Dune. It is a possibility. We do not know exactly what the child is capable of. He does not speak, and we do not read minds. There are several possibilities: one, the child could have unknowingly harmed the bounty hunter while helping him. Two, the child’s power could have triggered something that was already inside of the Mandalorian. There is also a third possibility. We do not know what happened to him on Abafar before you found him. He did not remember anything once he was recovered. The damage could have been done before.”

”This is a damn mess,” Cara sighed. “I’ve gotta get ahold of Greef. Maybe the Imps have some kind of new torture device or something. If they do, he’ll know. Look IG, I don’t think Mando will hurt the kid. I really don’t. But you have to protect him no matter what.”

”He will not harm the child, Cara Dune. Not while I am online.”

Cara felt immense comfort in knowing that she wasn’t in this alone. While IG didn’t have emotions, he was seemingly able to sympathize with her situation, even though she knew it was just his protocol. Bonding with a drone was never something she’d ever expect to happen, but she was very glad that the IG was with them. She knew that she wouldn’t have to worry about the child if she found herself fighting for her own life. It eased some of the burden. Cara picked up a cloth and wiped away some of the porridge that had dropped onto the boy’s robes. He pulled at the cloth, rubbing it on his face before firmly placing in his mouth. Cara finished her coffee before heading for the cockpit to contact Greef.  
  


“I’ll tell you one thing, IG,” she commented as she left. I picked a helluva time to stop drinking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, not long. But angsty. I like angsty and I like Cara on the edge of her seat. Oh yeah, and I like dangerous Din.


	8. Help

Cara grabbed the child and headed to the cockpit for a holocall with Greef. At this point he seemed to be her only hope of helping Mando. If the kid healing Din had anything to do with his behavior, then maybe Greef had a similar experience and could shed some light on the situation.   
  


The child fidgeted in Cara’s lap, only settling down when she pulled the silver control knob from the instrument panel and handed it to him. With him distracted, Cara returned her attention back to the viewer where Greef’s image was now displayed.

”Cara Dune! Little one! What a pleasant surprise,” he exclaimed, before noticing Cara’s harrowed look. Excitement quickly turned to concern.   
  


“Is everything ok? Where’s Mando’s?”

”Honestly Greef, they could be better. I have to ask you something. Back on Nevarro, after the kid healed you, were there any strange after effects?”  
  


“After effects? None that I can think of. My arm was fine. Not even a scar.”

”Not just physically. Mentally, did you feel off at all?”

”Why are you asking, Cara? What’s wrong?”

Cara sighed. She felt uncomfortable discussing this behind the bounty hunter’s back, but she didn’t feel like there was a choice. She didn’t trust him to behave rationally and she had nobody else to confide in.   
  
“Din got into a jam while following up on intel about the kid,” she continued hesitantly. “He got banged up by some troopers pretty bad. The kid had to heal him. But ever since then he’s been acting really strange. Distant, even for him.

“I’m sorry, Cara,” the man answered softly. He could see the fear on her face, her dark eyes, sunken from lack of sleep. She seemed on the verge of tears. He’d never seen the woman this upset. 

“I wish I could help, Cara, but I felt fine afterwards. You sure it’s not just stress? He’s taken on a lot with the little one.”

“He admitted to me that he has dreams where he kills me and the kid,” she choked out. “He’s kriffing freaking me, Greef, and I don’t know how to help. I don’t know if it’s something the troopers did or the kid. That’s why I’m asking.”

“There was something. I did started having dreams that the Empire came back and took Nevarro. I was forced to run with nothing but the clothes on my back. I lost everything. I kept running and they kept finding me and torturing me. Every night. It was pretty damn terrifying.”  
  


“You don’t have them anymore? They just stopped on their own?”

”Well, yeah. After a while. Cara, bring him back here. If it is something the kid did, at least we can help you keep an eye on him. You don’t look well.”

”Yeah, well, this isn’t a good situation. I’m not looking forward to what’s probably gonna happen. Stars, Greef, what the hell am I supposed to do? If he tries anything I’m gonna have to fight him. That’s not going to end well for somebody.”

”Get him to come back, Cara.”

”I’ll try, Greef.” The woman let out another deep sigh and an anguished smile. “I’ll talk to him when he gets back.”

”Where is he?”

“Who in the hell knows. Hopefully we’ll see you soon. Bye, Greef.” Cara ended the call and sank back into the cockpit chair. The child remained happily preoccupied, even when Cara pulled him further into her lap in a tight embrace. She had to do something. For him. For _all_ of them. She hit the comm to call IG. Mando would be back eventually, and she wanted to have the conversation without the kid being involved. Just in case.

”IG, can you come grab the little guy? I need to find Mando and have a little talk.”

”No need to look for me, Cara,” answered the bounty hunter. “I’m right here. Start talking.”  
  


* * *

IG made his way to the cockpit for Cara to hand off the child. The boy reached for Mando in passing but the bounty hunter ignored him, attention fully focused on Cara Dune. The woman stood and turned to face Mando. The cockpit suddenly seemed a lot smaller. Mando slowly made his way towards Cara, the tenseness rolling off of him. Cara, to her credit, stood her ground. Scared or not, she wasn’t going to be intimidated.

”I talked to Greef. About what’s going on with you.”

”Is that right? What’s Greef have to do with it?”

”He had nightmares after the kid healed him. I think that’s what’s happening to you.”

”You shouldn’t have called him. I’m handling it.”

”You’re not handling it. The kid sleeps with me because you don’t trust yourself. You disappear for hours because you don’t trust yourself. I’m on edge constantly because I don’t trust you. You think this is handled?”

Mando slowly but deliberately advanced towards the woman until he was close enough for Cara to see her reflection in the shine of his armor. She tensed up but made no move to back away.

”Are you afraid of me, Cara?”

”No,” she answered to the dark visor that covered his eyes. “I will protect me and the kid. But I don’t want it to go there, and neither do you. Don’t let it come to that.” Her dark eyes were burning with anger and the frustration that had been building within her.   
  
“You saved me back on Nevarro and now I’m trying to return the favor. We can go back and find a way to help you. Otherwise I don’t think this is going to end well.”

Cara had no time to react before Din’s hand wrapped around her neck and she was shoved unceremoniously against the instrument panel, the bounty hunter’s body holding her down as he stood over her.

”Wasn’t that long ago that you were a drunken mess who could barely function. And now you’re going to be the savior? That’s rich.”

”It wasn’t that long ago that you saved the kid from the Empire, and now you’re afraid of killing him yourself,” Cara challenged. “I haven’t had a drink in forever. You’re still having nightmares. Worst yet, you’re following through.”

The had tightened around Cara’s throat. She put her hands on top of his while her eyes burned holes into him.

“Who’s the fuckup now, Din?” Cara made her point with the Mandalorian, who abruptly pulled his away. He stayed in front of her, pressing her back into the instrument panel, fighting the rage that was welling inside of him.   
  


“This isn’t a game, Dune. I’m going to kill you.”

”You’re going to try. I’m not scared of dying. You wanna fight me instead of what’s happening to you, ok. But I’m not gonna roll over for you. I promised you on Nevarro that I would take care of the kid, and I will. Even if it means killing you. So whenever you’re ready, I’ll be too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it’s been a while. Sorry. Yeah, it’s short. Sorry. Yeah, I’m going darker. Not sorry.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, I said I was done with them for a while. But then this popped into my head. Something a little darker.


End file.
